Tragedy struck in the Florida Keys when a 47-year-old man and his 9-year-old son, both residents of Miami, were involved in a fatal personal watercraft accident in Marathon. WSVN reports that the incident occurred yesterday evening when the Yamaha watercraft they were on collided with a seawall, leading to the death of both passengers.
The accident took place around 6:45 p.m. near 14th Street, in the proximity of Castaways Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar, a detail provided by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and corroborated by the testimony of Sheriff Rick Ramsay who stated, "He hit head on. There was no slowing down," the impact was so forceful that it ejected the man onto land and propelled the boy into the water, unfortunately despite immediate efforts by witnesses to rescue the child, the outcomes were tragic losing his life later as well. The Miami Herald reports that the watercraft was being operated at full speed in a no-wake zone, a regulation designed to minimize boat-generated waves in residential areas.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is at the helm of the investigation, though their identities have not been disclosed as of the latest updates. A photo released to The Miami Herald showed severe damage to the personal watercraft and a child's shoe left on the footrest.
Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene and the child was airlifted toward Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, he was declared deceased on the way to Mariners Hospital, according to Monroe County Fire Rescue, the sheriff's office arrived first, followed by officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "It's sad. Sad," lamented Sheriff Ramsay. As FWC spokeswoman Arielle Callender put forth, "This is an active investigation; no further information is currently available," and emphasized, "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims during this difficult time."
